Red Fall
by Dissonencia
Summary: In another time, Auruo might have thought she's very beautiful or disturbingly cute. But that time is definitely not now, God, she's like a witch. Petra and Auruo's time together in the Levi Squad.


_Disclaimer: _I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin. I make no profit.

_Warning: None yet. _

_Chapter Word Count:_ 2,469

_General Summary: _In another time, Auruo might have thought she's very beautiful or disturbingly cute. But that time is definitely not now, _God_, she's like a witch. Petra and Auruo's time together in the Levi Squad. PetraXAuruo PetraXLevi

**Red Fall**

I

…**o0o…o0o…o0o…**

"_Huh? The hell is that_?" Auruo Bossard didn't think much of women in 3DM Gear and emblems of Survey Corps emblazoned in their backs. They are somewhat incompatible to the job –maybe not all, but most of them. Especially _that_ tiny thing, that tiny thing in honey hair, amber eyes and scrawny arms _cannot_ possibly be a soldier _in_ the Survey Corps, and definitely _not_ under Captain Levi.

"Petra Ral."

Greek princess –_like hell_.

Auruo snorted. Oh no way.

The way she introduced herself, wide eyed and voice with slight quiver, convinced Auruo that no way someone like her is going to join the elite of the elite team; she doesn't fit in any way.

Earlier, Captain Levi told his unit, well the ones that managed to survive the latest expedition -him, Erd and Gunther to meet in the spare room upstairs and wait for the new member. And Auruo vaguely remembered Captain Levi quoting 'the new member isn't like the rest, get it to through your heads and show respect'.

If only he didn't know his captain was serious by default, he'd say he was flat out joking.

All three of them were told to wait in the spare room, with him casually sitting and dozing in his chair with a cold tea mug in his grasp while the two men engaged in deep talk about strategies when the door quietly opened after a soft knock and a girl with shoulder length, honey-colored hair and dressed in complete and _very_ bloody Survey Corps attire stood in the doorway.

Auruo stared at her for a full minute and that's when he learned that Captain Levi was really into stupid jokes and shit.

Apparently, very bad ones.

Auruo glanced at Erd and Gunther for their reactions; they all certainly didn't expect a female member to turn up this time.

The girl, who stood quietly, stared at all of them with unwavering force, though it was obvious that she was somewhat nervous _and_ tired.

"G-good evening." She said timidly. She was wide-eyed, with bloody cuts in her face and she's very apprehensible.

It seemed that Gunther and Erd were more welcoming with the idea than Auruo.

"Well then, Petra." Gunther rushed forward to shake her hands. Erd did the same. The two were big and the girl's petite form dwarfed in contrast. Erd asked her –with an amused glance at Auruo- if she's the replacement and she answered with a resounding yes –much to Auruo's annoyance.

_What?_ Auruo's eyes narrowed in tenacity when his squadron comrade accepted her just like that, without question.

He stayed slumped in his chair and watched the girl, his stare packed with a haughty expression and disdainful remarks, basically everything he hasn't said _yet_.

"Are you alright?" Erd asked. She's wearing a bloody uniform and all the blades in her gear are missing. She obviously went to battle. Only a soldier who faced the unexplainable titans can sport an apprehensive reaction like hers.

"Yes, sir." Petra answered rigidly.

"No need to be too formal, Petra."

Auruo inspected the new member. Many months from now, he'd probably say goodbye to the whole of her –or pieces of her.

"Hey Auruo, aren't you going to say something?" Erd, being the level-headed and also a good and polite soldier, asked a pissed as hell Auruo and patted Petra in the shoulder. "She's our new member."

Petra looked at Auruo and held out her hand, "Nice to meet-"

"Do you think you're in the right room, _babe_? Only elite soldiers go here. Ladies' room right up in the next hallway to your left."

It wasn't the best of greetings and Auruo didn't care.

Gunther nudged him, "Oi, Auruo. Remember what captain said."

As far as Auruo knew, he will only respect those who had proven themselves in his eyes and this girl did nothing yet. "_Tch_, shut it. You'd think, Captain got poor eyesight or something? Or a lapse in judgment? Can't he see she's no way fitting?"

The girl –_Petra Ral_- turned to glare openly at him.

Auruo _positively_ liked the arching of the girl's back in indignation and the notable annoyance in her face. Her mouth opened and closed, like she wanted to tell him some snarky remarks or worse –lectures on behaviors.

Unfortunately for her, Auruo was a master of confrontations. _Go on._

"Excuse me," Her voice sounded harsh. She took a couple of steps toward the man at the table.

And she stared him down. Wide-eyed.

"Mister, do you have a problem with me?"

_Straightforward, too_. Auruo thought.

'_Ooh,_' Gunther reacted something similar in the background. Erd stood in the middle of the two. Petra is clearly someone who won't put up with Auruo's constant condescending pushes and snarky remarks.

"Oh? I was very surprised ya didn't know my name, babe. Tell me, you haven't heard of my impressive Titan kill record, no?"

"Actually, no. And I haven't the slightest interest."

"How unfortunate."

"Please, do yourself a favor and stop talking, mister."

Petra took Auruo's calloused hand and forcibly shook hands with him, "And nice to meet you too."

She has such hard –albeit tired, amber eyes and she stared at him with certain fierceness. Auruo sipped his tea casually. In another time, Auruo might have thought she's very beautiful or disturbingly cute. But that time is definitely not now, _god_, she's like a fucking witch. Or a witch-skinless titan hybrid.

"Oi, Auruo, I don't think it's the right time to…you know…" _Mess with her_… Erd tried to warn him with his eyes but Auruo downright ignored him. Petra came back from the horrors of facing titans and she sure looked like she could take out some more. The captain did say she's _more_ than adequate in terms of talent and they might be surprised. That, coming from the serious Captain Levi himself, surely has validity.

Also, Captain Levi did say that it's most wise to _not_ ask for a demonstration.

"Want me to show you why _exactly_ I'm the best? How I achieved my impressive count?" Auruo challenged, his arms and legs crossed and met Petra's death stare head-on.

Gunther held Auruo's shoulder down in case he wanted to jump Petra –not the torrid and sizzling one, but the violent type. Not that Auruo would ever do that, realistically speaking. "Auruo, quit it. Let's not get carried away, it's just a simple greeting."

A small sigh escaped Petra's lips, "No, thank you. But I sincerely hope that you will bite your tongue, swallow your own nonsense and shut up forever."

Petra, to Erd and Gunther's relief, would call out Auruo's verbal garbage but not stupid enough to actually bit his bait and pick a fight.

Her presence would be a nice one for the squad.

Auruo smirked, "Damn, I was hoping I could show you real skills, ya know. Well then, make sure you don't die on us, _Petra_. Don't make me collect your limbs, you hear?"

"_Quiet_."

Nothing else can strike sudden apprehension in the experienced soldiers of the Levi unit who fought hellish battles other than the stern, shadowed gaze of the captain himself.

Captain Levi stood in the doorway, the looming mass of shadow behind Petra. He stepped inside, eyes already inspecting the dimly lit room for a tiny speck of dust.

Levi gripped Petra's shoulder and she immediately stepped aside.

"Sorry, Captain!" She murmured and stepped aside.

'_Huuh?'_ Auruo didn't miss the slight staining on her cheeks.

Levi told Petra to come right after her arrival, without changing her worn or bloody uniform to a fresher, cleaner one. He wanted to see the reactions of his _mostly-men_ squad to a tiny, female in bloody clothes right after killing titans. A proof that this petite woman worked her way up, trained really hard and became a survivor herself and therefore, earned a spot in his hand-picked squad. She's a woman with serious guts.

He _really_ wanted to see how his men would react to female achieving feats in a mostly male dominated military front. And he was disappointed at Auruo's reaction to Petra: his baseless and seemingly cynic assumptions towards women.

However, he was adequately _contented_ –for the lack of better word- to Petra's handling of Auruo. Levi hoped that she continues to put him in line -not that he can't do it, of course.

Petra joining the squad is also with a faint hope of subduing Auruo's sky-high egotism.

"I told Petra to come here right after her mission. To show you exactly, that gender never mattered when it comes to talent in killing titans." He said, eyeing them all, as if daring Auruo to speak up.

The bloodstains on Petra, the cuts on her face and her unnoticeable limp all came from hard work and resolute will to live.

Erd and Gunther both nodded at the actuality of what Captain Levi said, they never had an issue about it and in fact, were both glad at Petra's arrival.

Petra tried to stop the stupid blood rush in her face that is unfortunately, inherent to females.

"She will be part of our squad from now on, I expect no objections." Levi's shadowed gaze lingered on Auruo –who still looked sour but he knew enough to shut his mouth…_or not_.

"Captain, I still don't think that girl –Auruo jerked a thumb in Petra's direction, who was surprisingly close- can do what we can-_**Ooof**_!"

Everyone watched silently as Auruo suddenly fell flat on the wooden floor with a dull _thump_: he's already in deep slumber.

And for the first time, Petra triumphantly grinned above Auruo fallen form, and massaged her small fist.

"I really wanted to do that."

…**0…**

Their first assignment together wasn't really a mission, but a free-form type. Captain Levi ordered them to organize a training to determine Petra's dynamics inside the squadron.

And surprisingly, Petra's attitude morphed from a nervous girl with stiff movements to a bit more cheerful, relax and polite when she greeted everyone the next day –with the exception of Auruo, who sulked all over breakfast because he woke up in a dirty floorboard from a sleep-inducing punch. And he carried, of course, the searing pain of losing to a _girl_.

Throughout all morning, Petra ignored Auruo like how Captain Levi would _never_ ignore a tiny speck of dust.

Both scenarios carried the same conviction.

While they wait for the horses, Auruo learned from Erd that last night, Petra came back from a separate mission to clear a town and advance another foothold for supplies. The mission suffered a crushing blow, _at first_. Petra lost half of her comrades in the process _but_ she successfully cleared most of the titans in the town, saved three of her remaining comrades, set up a temporary barricade and came back alive.

It was then that Captain Levi finally approached her and told her she'll be transferred to his hand-picked squad effective on the very same night. Levi _ordered_ her to meet her new squad members in her current bloodied state but very much alive, the _very_ proof that their new member is not someone that can be underestimated. But of course, Levi did give Petra time to compose herself after witnessing the demise of her companions.

Gunther commented that for a soldier who lost most of her comrades on a single night, she was pretty composed.

And _also_ last night, Petra became the female soldier with the highest recorded team and solo Titan kill –a feat that had Auruo snorting in annoyance and kept on blabbering about his impressive 39 _solo_ Kills.

Gunther told him that Kill count wasn't everything, Auruo _still_ didn't shut up until the horses arrived.

It was Erd who was tasked to oversee the whole training. They initially agreed to strike titan dummies in the given practice arena, but Auruo said –with an appallingly smug expression and dastardly loud voice- that they are _elite_ and elite soldiers _never_ deal with stupid titan dummies when they can kill the actual ones.

And of course, there's the occasional smite at Petra's abilities –who was busy tending to her horse to actually hear Auruo's pathetic remarks at her.

…

As for Levi, he watched his newly formed squad with cautious eyes. He's confident Erd and Gunther will work well with Petra, the problem was Auruo and to some extent, Petra herself. The two already planted the seed of animosity in the first day. He would not want to see that grow into a full fledge tree of hate.

_Petra Ral_.

Petra joined the Survey Corps six years ago and managed to remain breathing, that itself is already an achievement.

Among the rough and gruff male survivors of the Survey Corps, there is the petite and almost insignificant Petra. Her frame suited a princess more than that of an expendable soldier. Her weight and stature are her primary advantages, of course. Levi watched her move in a graceful dance, maneuvering in the air, attacking and slicing with impressive precision –almost like Auruo's, speedy like Gunther, and able to make sound judgments like Erd.

But Levi had seen ferocity in her attacks, graceful like a lioness. Uniquely Petra. Graceful, steady and fierce.

He's glad to have Petra in his squad.

After hearing Erd's reasoning and Auruo's demand, Captain Levi sent them to the town where Petra's comrades had fallen and continue the mission to barricade the foothold and kill nearby titans.

But of course, he's not without worry that his new subordinate will go back to the place where she lost her former comrades and relieve the memory.

But then again, Levi strongly believed that it is also the best place to recover and form new bonds.

…

"_Tch_." Should he stay close to her? Just in case?

Auruo released another of his wire and shifted lower, closer to her.

Auruo watched Petra closely, as if expecting her to tumble any moment or crash to a titan.

They're now en route to the town and all four of them are in their gear and maneuvering in the air to get to the town real fast

There's this tiny thing he hated, he found out he didn't like watching her in the air.

_Goddamn_, she was so graceful in the fucking air. Those little nimble movements, turns and curves dumbfounded him. He had never seen a better dancer in the air.

But when he saw Gunther and Erd exchanging looks and peering at him then at Petra, he knew he'd rather die than admit it first.

He cursed loudly, sped up and successfully bypassed everyone just to avoid their stupid glances.

Most people said that Petra was really a very kind and caring person.

_Bullshit_, Auruo said.

She's still quite the _bitch_ with a godforsaken sucker punch in Auruo's opinion.

…**o0O0o…**

_To be continued_

**Author's Note**

I have so much feels for the _former_ Levi squad, I think I need a closure. And Petra and Auruo! I cannot explain my massive heartache feels!

Next chapter, I'll focus on Petra. The misogyny idea came from seasaltkisses, she's awesome. It's my first SnK fic…So…uhh…yeah, still familiarizing.

Thanks for reading!

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**Love me or Hate me?**

**Dissonencia.**


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